Provost's Seminar Series - Eileen Connolly Keesler & Mary Beth Geier

Please join us at the upcoming Provost’s Seminar Series with Eileen Connolly-Keesler & Mary Beth Geier as they will be discussing “2023 Community Needs Reassessment-Gains and Remaining Gaps” on Thursday, January 18, 2024 from 3:00pm – 4:30pm in AB9 Room 106.

 

More about Connolly-Keesler: Eileen Connolly-Keesler joined the Collier Community Foundation as President and CEO ten years ago in 2013 where she oversees the Foundation’s mission and addresses community needs by providing leadership and coordination through grantmaking and fund development.

Since joining the Collier Community Foundation, assets have grown from $62 million to over $250 million.

The Community Foundation, now 38 years old, manages over 850 funds, collaborates with hundreds of nonprofits, and has distributed over $310 million in grants and scholarships to nonprofit organizations and community programs since its inception, over $43.1 million in the 2022 fiscal year.

Connolly-Keesler currently serves on the boards of the Florida Nonprofit Alliance, the Greater Naples Chamber of Commerce, CFLeads (Community Foundations Leading Change), Imagine Solutions, and the Estate Planning Council. She is a past chair of the Statewide Community Foundation Steering Committee for FPN. She was a Rotarian for over 28 years.

She earned her Bachelor of Social Work from UW Green Bay and Masters in Public Administration from UW Oshkosh and previously served as President/CEO of the Oshkosh Area Community Foundation for ten years before relocating to Naples.

For more information about the Collier Community Foundation, contact Eileen Connolly-Keesler at 239.649.5000, ekeesler@colliercf.org, or visit their website at colliercf.org.

 

More about Geier: Mary Beth Geier serves as the Florida Director & Senior Program Officer for the Richard M. Schulze Family Foundation. In her role at the foundation, Geier is responsible for their philanthropy throughout the SWFL region, as well as the Anguilla, BWI. She performs site visits, prepares evaluations, and offers recommendations while serving as the liaison to the numerous charitable organizations in our community.

Prior to working for the Richard M. Schulze Family Foundation, Geier was the assistant principal of a parochial school in north central Florida.  In her role as assistant principal, she was responsible for teacher in-service programs, evaluation of lesson plans, student and teacher schedules, and student conduct.

In addition to her role at the Richard M. Schulze Family Foundation, Geier serves on several local boards and advisory committees which include:  Board of Directors, Florida Gulf Coast University Foundation; Board of Directors, Greater Naples Chamber of Commerce; and the FGCU College of Education Dean’s Advisory Council.

Originally from New Jersey, Geier moved to Florida 25 years ago where she graduated with honors from St. Leo University. More recently, she received her M.A. in Educational Leadership from Florida Gulf Coast University. Geier was recognized by Naples Illustrated as a Leading Lady of Collier County in January 2018 and as an Influential Leader for 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023. Geier lives in Naples and enjoys traveling to visit her children who live in North Florida, Minnesota and Washington.